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What I did for beer today

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Move went smoothly (for husband, Mom, and me at least, Dad is a bit upset) and home now for some relax time. RatDeath turned out to be more of a reddish/brown ale with a good flavor (at least the uncarbonated sample tastes good) so trying to figure out what it is. I'll post a pic once it's carbed and ready. Guessing I should have subbed in Chocolate for the absent Carafa II instead of roasted barley; but should be a nice easy drinking dark-ish ale.
 
We completed the login for the Bluebonnet Brew Off yesterday, 1366 entries.
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Filled the storage buckets with 2-row. I can’t get a full sack into two 5 gal buckets so I also weighed out grain for this week’s brewday.
 
Filled the storage buckets with 2-row. I can’t get a full sack into two 5 gal buckets so I also weighed out grain for this week’s brewday.
It's a close thing. When I get the bucket almost full, I thump it up and down on the floor, rotate rapidly, or a combination of the two, to settle the grain. Always have been able to get a full sack in 2 buckets.
 
It's a close thing. When I get the bucket almost full, I thump it up and down on the floor, rotate rapidly, or a combination of the two, to settle the grain. Always have been able to get a full sack in 2 buckets.
I can never get a sack in two buckets either. First, the gamma lids seem to need extra room to tighten down. And more importantly it probably depends on the grain. Different malts have different sizes and shapes of kernels with different packing efficiency. And if it's a European grain, or Rahr 2 row, it's 25 kilograms and that extra 5 lbs will do it. I just spread it across 3 buckets and have room to keep a scoop in there. As soon as I'm through two buckets, I have room to stash a new sack.
 
Bottled 48 12 ounce beers for my youngest' child ski instructor. Guy is a volunteer in an organization that helps kids with special needs (Outdoors for All), and is amazing as an instructor. This is the third year he's coached my daughter, who at the end of year one was able to get down the bunny slope by herself skiing behind the coach who went downhill backwards and kinda guided her down like one of those guys with lighted batons bringing a plane into the gate.

Anyhoo, 3 seasons ago I asked if he liked beer? "Trick question?" And then it turned out he likes American IPA's. So, each season I have bottled some kind of hop bomb for him. Generally, American hops are not for my palate. So, year one I did an English IPA loaded with Fuggles, Bramling Cross, N Brewer and EKG. Last year was a variety of noble hops. This year is an Strong Bitter with a lot of Fuggles. Win-win. :ban:
 
Bottled a pils. My first time using lager yeast. Beer looked really clear in the fermonster. I used up some styrian aurora hops that I scavenged from a friend and it sampled way better than I was expecting it to. It ended a couple gravity points higher than I expected, but it was the second time using my mash&boil system, and I definitely remember some temp swings on that one. Really excited to sample off the uKeg and not have to wait for the bottles to carb and condition.
 
Kicked one, tapped one, and got a great comparison. Two otherwise identical Dunkels, but the second has my typical 1% Carafa Special 2, while the first dropped that and just made up the color with extra Sinamar. I cannot detect the difference as a perceptible roast character in the second. But there was definitely something missing in the first. This one tastes like I expect a Dunkel to. Cool.
 
Heading to breakfast soon with some friends, one of whom is moving permanently to Vegas. Then it's off to Everett for the GEBL IPA Bracket Challenge that I entered my Bodhi clone in. Been a long week waiting to find out my scores, a real nail-biter; beer was one of the best IPA's I've ever done. They do the judging in the morning, awards ceremony in the afternoon, so nobody knows who won until they get there. Only the 4th competition I've entered; hoping for good scores but not aspiring to win.
 
Shameless pat-on-the-back post; took first place in American IPA bracket, and 2nd place overall Best In Show, with 131 entries in 5 classes. I am truly gobsmacked. Got some nice prizes too, a $50 gift card to an LHBS that's a bit of a drive but will be used, a Blichmann t-shirt, and a Blichmann BrewVision gadget. Also talked to a couple of guys I met at a competition last year, who asked me again to join their homebrew club; have to wait until bowling is done in April but I'm finally going to take the plunge and do it. Happy girl this evening.
 
Bought the ingredients for an all grain 5 gal Hellas/Maibock; couple of pounds of a grain I never heard of, Red X, to compliment my Northern Brewer kit of Irish Red. Ordered a corny keg carbonation lid with carb stone.
 
Shameless pat-on-the-back post; took first place in American IPA bracket, and 2nd place overall Best In Show, with 131 entries in 5 classes. I am truly gobsmacked. Got some nice prizes too, a $50 gift card to an LHBS that's a bit of a drive but will be used, a Blichmann t-shirt, and a Blichmann BrewVision gadget. Also talked to a couple of guys I met at a competition last year, who asked me again to join their homebrew club; have to wait until bowling is done in April but I'm finally going to take the plunge and do it. Happy girl this evening.
Congratulations, so you don't need to strain your arm.

I seen your earlier post and thought how nice that be to get results in a week. Most of the contest around here there is a good month to see if you placed then a couple weeks to see the actual score sheets.
 
Starting a starter. WY3787 Trappist high grav for a tripel I'll start brewing Tuesday or Wednesday.

EDIT: so while I was at it, got the last few drops from the smack pack, and streaked 2 plates. Always a big believer in growing your own!
 
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